Homestead fish farming generates income in Haor areas

Abdul Kuddus, a 55-year-old farmer from Palash union of Bishwambarpur upazila in Sunamganj, used to run his eight-member family with the earnings from his cropland amid financial hardship.

Later on, he brought two of his homestead ponds under fish cultivation with financial assistance and modern training from an International Fund for Agricultural Development-funded (IFAD) project. Now he can save a handsome amount at the end of the year.

“I was struggling to meet my family’s food demand and bear the educational costs of my children from cropland earnings. But now I am earning more by farming fish as I have received training,” Kuddus told The Business Post.

He received Tk 11,000 in financial support from the project. This gave him confidence, and he gradually invested Tk 1.15 lakh more in a year in fish farming. He made a profit of Tk 76,000 last year from his ponds.

Kuddus cultivates Mola, a highly nutritious fish, along with major carp species – Rui, Katla, Mrigel, and Silver Carp – in his ponds measuring 30 decimals.

“I cover the expenses of my family’s daily commodities along with the education of my children with the earnings from one pond while that from the other helps grow my savings,” he said.

Fish farming in homestead ponds in haor areas is getting popular day by day, with women getting involved in it as well. Saju Begum, a resident of Purbagram village in Itna upazila of Kishoreganj, has brought her 20-decimal pond under fish farming.

The 45-year-old received training along with an aid of Tk 5,000. She added Tk 20,500 more from her own fund and invested it in fish farming, making a profit of Tk 54,500 in a year.

“By receiving training, I will be able to continue fish farming without any external assistance. Fish farming has brought my family financial comfort as well,” a happy Saju said.  

Like Kuddus and Saju, more than 5,000 smallholders in five districts of the haor areas have been provided with financial and technical support to cultivate Mola fish in household ponds under the “Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project – Climate Adaptation and Livelihood Protection (HILIP/CALIP)” financed by the IFAD.

Utilising seasonal ponds, ditches, and floodplains, these farmers have been able to increase fish production, meeting the nutritional needs of their families and also earning a good income. They are adopting affordable technology and farming methods promoted by the project to cultivate Mola fish.

To diversify the livelihoods of marginal farmers of the haor areas, the project assisted them by providing capacity building training, financial support, technical advice, technology, transport, and market linkages.

IFAD’s Country Director for Bangladesh Dr Arnoud Hameleers told The Business Post climate change and related extreme weather events highly impact aquatic quality and thus biodiversity in the haor region.

“We work with the government to improve aquaculture techniques and practices of fish farming families, helping them become more resilient,” he said.

“Through increased access to inputs and enhanced capacity in adopting technology, fisherwomen and fishermen can increase their fish production and produce high-value indigenous fish, securing sustainable livelihoods,” he added.   

A study conducted by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Research Fellow Dr Badrun Nessa Ahmed revealed that household food consumption expenditure increased by Tk 252 per year, and calorie intake by 24 calories per day, after bringing homestead ponds under fish cultivation.

The study titled “The role of homestead fish ponds for household nutrition security in Bangladesh” also said per capita fish intake had risen by 58 per cent over the past 15 years while 43 per cent of total fish comes from homestead pond farming. Its findings were unveiled this month.  

Dr Md Khaled Kanak, deputy director of the Department of Fisheries, said the contribution of pond fish farming to the total fish production had increased in the past decade.

“Last year, there was a surplus of 84,000 tonnes of fish after meeting the local demand. Technological interventions have mainly helped achieve this boost.”